I am an addict, and I am not ashamed. But it’s not what you may think…my weakness is actually magazines! O, Allure, Women’s Day, Family Circle, Family Fun, I could go on and on. I just love the information and inspiration that I get. The only trick is finding a way to manage all that random information so it becomes memorable and useful, and not letting the piles of magazines take over my living space!

The way I stay organized is by keeping a journal. Two, actually, since I keep recipes that I’ve taken from magazines in a binder. The journal I’m referring to today, though, is for all the other bits of wisdom that you don’t know quite what to do with, but want to remember.

Take a trip to the bookstore and find a journal that you love. I’m all about online shopping in most cases, but there’s something about a journal that should be a brick-and-mortar experience. You have to make sure it’s a journal that you love the feel of, the way the pages turn, the way it’s bound; don’t use just any old notebook. It makes a world of difference.

Once you find your perfect journal, arm yourself with a small bag or basket of supplies. I actually use an extra travel makeup bag. In the bag I keep small scissors, pens, tape, a glue stick, and, surprisingly enough, crayons. You just never know when the urge to color will strike.

When I’m leafing through the magazines, if there’s anything that really appeals to me, whether it’s an inspiring quote, an idea, something about my family that I relate to, a picture, or a place I want to visit, I pull the whole page or pages out. I will leave the pages sticking out of the magazine until I’m finished reading it, and then I’ll put them in a folder until I have a minute to work with them and put them in the journal.

At this point, you can go ahead and recycle the rest of the magazine. Ahhhh…doesn’t that feel good? No piles of clutter! Well, no piles of magazine clutter, anyway. One thing at a time.

Now, with a few free moments and your supplies at the ready, you can cut, tear, glue, tape, and color to your heart’s content. There are no rules. You can write notes alongside, or not. You can include an entire article, or just rip out a paragraph or a sentence that moved you. You can jot down why the words were meaningful, or you can just color a smiley face or heart next to it. You could also just copy down the passages and information yourself onto your journal pages. This may appeal to those that don’t like the random, “messyness” of the cut-and-glue method. Either way you’re keeping a log of personal, meaningful information. It’s easy, and it makes for a fun journal to keep. You’ll be surprised how revealing it can be to flip back and see your past inclusions, and what you may have otherwise forgotten about!